Imagine working to bring truth to light, only to become a casualty of conflict. The NUJ recently took a powerful stand outside Number 10, delivering a letter to the Prime Minister. They’re demanding accountability for the staggering number of journalists killed in Gaza. What will it take to protect those who report from the front lines?

In a powerful demonstration of solidarity and a staunch demand for accountability, the London Freelance branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has taken its concerns directly to the heart of British power. Representatives gathered outside Number 10 Downing Street to deliver a pivotal letter to the Prime Minister, urging concrete action and demanding answers regarding the escalating crisis of journalists and media workers killed in Gaza.

The scale of the tragedy underscores the urgency of their plea. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a staggering minimum of 189 Palestinian journalists and media workers have lost their lives in Gaza since the renewed hostilities erupted in October 2023. This devastating toll highlights the perilous environment in which reporters strive to inform the world.

The letter to the Prime Minister posed critical questions, notably inquiring about the Government’s strategies to ensure that surviving Palestinian journalists can continue their vital reporting within Gaza. Furthermore, the NUJ branch sought clarification on the support the UK Government would offer to an International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into what they describe as the “blatant targeting” of journalists and media workers by Israeli forces.

Members attending the poignant vigil outside Downing Street held up cards, each bearing the name of a journalist confirmed killed in the conflict, underscoring the individual lives lost and the profound impact on press freedom. This act of remembrance served as a solemn reminder of the human cost behind the statistics.

A significant point of contention raised by the NUJ branch concerns the ban on foreign media entering Gaza, which has been in place since October 2023, save for tightly controlled trips escorted by the Israeli military. The union pressed the Prime Minister on how the Government is working to ensure non-Palestinian reporters can gain free and unsupervised access to report from the region.

Beyond press freedom, the NUJ also questioned the Government’s efforts to facilitate “immediate safe access to food, water and necessary equipment” for the civilians trapped within the region. This broadens their advocacy to encompass fundamental humanitarian concerns alongside the specific plight of media professionals.

The letter, co-signed by branch chairwoman Pennie Quinton and others, began by acknowledging a previous governmental statement of concern regarding the killing of six journalists. However, it swiftly moved to reiterate the NUJ’s general secretary’s powerful assertion: that the open admission of such atrocities by the Israeli military brings into sharp focus the urgent need for international action to end this culture of impunity and protect the independent reporting essential for global understanding.